


One Woman's Flaw, Another's Treasure

by MaybeItWasMemphis



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Interracial Relationship, Lemon, Light Dom/sub, Romance, Slightly inspired by Modern Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:26:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 8,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaybeItWasMemphis/pseuds/MaybeItWasMemphis
Summary: Derek has what he thinks is a flaw when it comes to relationships. Alice disagrees with himREPOST FROM MY OLD ACCOUNT
Relationships: Derek Morgan/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 105





	1. Fishing and Corona

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Is Shermar Moore still on the show? There you go. No, I do not own anything 'Criminal Minds' related. Zero profit is being made off of this story. 

She was the first thing Derek noticed when he walked (been dragged) into the club. Dark red hair, about thirty, thick hips, breasts made for sin. The sexy dark green number she was wearing obviously made her uncomfortable and she was teetering a bit on her fuck-me heels, telling him that she wasn't used to wearing them. She was nursing a drink at the bar and obviously wanted to be anywhere else. Breaking away from Garcia and Lynch, he dodged a few of the club's regular whores and set his sights on her. 

“May I buy you a drink, beautiful?” 

It was cute. She looked behind her and to her left and right before realizing that he was talking to her. “Su...sure,” she stuttered and nodded with a nervous smile on her plump lips. 

“What are you drinking?”

“Corona.”

Derek ordered two beers and took a seat on the stool beside her. “I'm Derek,” he introduced himself. “Derek Morgan.”

“Alice Spellman,” she offered in return.

“You look like you don't want to be here,” he observed. “Dragged out by well-meaning friends? I was.”

Alice relaxed a little and smiled. “Yeah. My little sister, Amanda, is getting married next Saturday and all of her friends are in town. I couldn't say no to the bride-to-be without looking like a jerk.”

“My best friend and her boyfriend are trying to find me a girlfriend even though they think I don't know what they're doing,” Derek laughed. 

“At least they mean well,” Alice shrugged. “Me on the other hand, I think my sister hates me and likes rubbing her happiness in my face.”

“That ain't nice,” Derek shook his head. “So you live here in D.C.?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Born and raised in Georgetown.”

“I'm originally from Chicago,” Derek shared. “I moved here to work with the FBI. What do you do?”

“I'm a fifth-grade teacher at Georgetown Elementary School. What do you do for the FBI?”

Their drinks arrived and they fell into easy conversation. Derek scooted his stool closer at one point and now had his hand resting on her thigh. He was beyond enamored with the younger woman. 

“Derek, it's getting late,” Alice was looking at a text on her phone. “Amanda's ready to leave.”

Derek wanted to offer her a ride...and a night in his bed but he didn't. He wanted more than a night and rushing into sex would ruin any chance that he had with her. “You like fishing?”

Alice was adorably confused. “I love fishing.” She nodded. “I go deep-sea fishing with my dad every summer off the coast of North Carolina. Why?”

“I was gonna take my boat out on the Potomac tomorrow. I don't want to go alone. Do you want to be my date?” Eight hours alone on the river at the end of an unusually warm spring with this sweet, incredibly intelligent, undeniably sexy creature he'd been lucky enough to stumble upon sounded like his kind of heaven. He owed Garcia and Lynch one.

“Well, my sister is having a pre-wedding dinner party tomorrow night at nine.” Derek's heart sank. “Would we be back early enough for me to have time to get ready?”

“I usually dock the boat around four. How about I make you a deal? You come fishing with me and I'll be your date for that dinner party you don't really wanna go to?” He hoped that by the end of the day she'd want to spend the weekend in his bed. By Sunday morning he planned to call her his. 

Alice smiled brightly. “Deal.”


	2. See You...Maybe

Derek was a ball of nerves the next morning. With plans to pick up Alice from her apartment at seven, he was awake at four. To burn off some of his excess energy, he ran around his neighborhood...three times. He couldn't remember the last time he was as hard up for a woman as he was for Alice. He'd have a talk with her on the boat. He'd explain his personality flaw. The one that always drove women away in the end...and he just prayed to God that she'd accept him. It was just one tick that he couldn't shake.

After he'd made sure that his boat was safely and securely on its trailer, he went inside for a quick shower. Before the shower, he sent Alice a quick text to let her know that he was thinking about her. 

***** Good morning, princess. I couldn't stop thinking about you last night. See you soon, beautiful. Unless you gave me a fake address....you didn't right? :-/ *****

He was messing with her. He was curious to see how good her sense of humor was. By the time he got out of the shower, he had a response waiting for him.

_*** Take a chance and see. ;-) ***_

***** You know it's a crime to lie to a federal agent, right? *****

_*** Only when he's on duty. :-p ***_

Derek found himself laughing out loud. He really liked Alice and knew that he could easily fall in love with her. She was sweet and obviously funny. She was exactly the kind of woman the woman to come home to after a bad case. 

***** Baby, I can't date you if I can't find you. *****

_*** We're dating now? I didn't know that. Thanks for the update. ;-) ***_

***** Your students are rubbing off on you, princess. Your a real brat. *****

_*** Is that any way to talk to the woman you want to date? BTW, it's spelled “you're” ***_

***** Oh, look. The sexy teacher's back. *****

_*** Oh, God. Another dude with a teacher kink. ***_

***** Not hot for teacher, just you, baby. ;-) *****

_*** If that's true...why are you 5 minutes late picking me up? ***_

Derek checked his phone's display. She was right. He was now six minutes late. He shoved his feet into his sneakers, grabbed his wallet and keys, set the alarm, and headed out the door. 

***** Sorry, princess. I got so caught up talking to you that I lost track of time. Getting in my truck now. Be there in 20 minutes. *****

Derek sent the text before getting into the driver's seat of his truck.

_*** Be safe, handsome. I'll see you soon...maybe. ***_

Derek was laughing as he started the truck.


	3. You Asked for It

Derek pulled up in front of Alice's modest apartment complex to find her already outside waiting for him. Alice was dressed in short but not inappropriate cut-off shorts, a plain (tight) white tank top and black wedge flip-slops. He could see a bathing suit top tied around her neck. He really hoped she was wearing a bikini. He had to quickly adjust himself before getting out of his truck.

“Morning, princess,” he flashed his most charming smile at her. “You look beautiful.” He meant it. Unlike the night before she wasn't wearing a face full of makeup. He didn't think there was anything besides sunscreen on her pretty slightly freckled face. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy, stylish bun. She looked like a sexy as fuck girl next door. 

Alice blushed when he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “You don't look half bad yourself.”

Derek wasn't blind nor was he stupid. He knew the effect that he had on women...even when dressed in simple cargo shorts and a green wifebeater. “You ready to get going?”

Alice nodded shyly.

Derek put his arm possessively around her waist. “Your chariot awaits, madam...because it doesn't want to get towed by the king's parking jester.”

Making fun of the D.C. Parking Authority did the trick and Alice giggled as he helped her to climb up into the passenger seat of the truck. Damn. He really hadn't noticed how short Alice was the previous night while she was wearing heels. It was another point in her favor. Derek found short women to be both sexy and adorable. 

***  
Alice waited on the dock the ten minutes it took him to put the boat in the water. After that, she had helped him load supplies before they cast off. They traveled in comfortable silence the twenty-five minutes it took to get to his favorite fishing spot.

Once they had cast their lines, Derek reached out and took her hand. He pulled her to stand in front of him at the railing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and was pleasantly surprised when she leaned back against him while they gazed out at the muddy water, watching their lines.

“So, what's your damage?” Alice broke the long-running silence. 

“What do you mean, princess?” Derek chuckled. 

“What's wrong with you? How is a man who is successful, charming, and looks like he was carved by Michaelangelo still single?” She turned in his arms to look at him.

“You really wanna know, babe, you're sure?” He raised a challenging eyebrow.

Alice nodded. 

“Alright, princess, but remember...you literally asked for it.”


	4. Something So Rare

“I'm a little too...traditional I guess I would say.” Derek took a seat on the boat bench.

“And what would your exes say?” Alice took a seat beside him.

  
Derek chuckled. “They would call me dominant, possessive, and a lot of other words that I'm not about to say in front of a lady.”

  
Alice seemed to recoil away from him. “Derek, I'm very sorry if I gave you the wrong impression but I'm not into that 'Fifty Shades of Grey' stuff and I damn sure don't need a master or another daddy.”

  
Derek's eyes went wide. “You have the wrong idea, princess,” he rushed to correct himself. “I'm not into that kinky sex shit either. Trust me, doing what I do I know kinks like that are usually hiding much darker problems. When I say dominant, I mean that I'm a man who wants to be a man in my relationships. It's in my DNA to be the protector, the provider. Yeah, when we go out I may tell you to put on an outfit I like but I'll also be the man who knocks out any dude who looks at you wrong.”

  
“Basically you're the type of man who died out with millennial generation?” Alice was softly smirking now. 

  
Derek nodded his head and laughed. “That's one way of putting it. You're not recoiling in horror anymore. Can I take that as a good sign?”

  
Alice giggled. “Yeah, it's a good sign.” She turned towards him, bringing one leg onto the bench to rest underneath her.

“Since you were truthful, I guess it's my turn now. There's a reason I was so against the idea of being with you if you labeled yourself a dom.”

  
Derek reached out and took her hand, interlacing their fingers. “Been there, done that?”

  
Alice nodded and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I was nineteen, a kid. The guy was my first real love. That obsessive teenage puppy love. I was young and stupid and went along with it even though I didn't like it because I was scared that I would lose him if I didn't. Before long I realized that I never really had him to begin with. I was just one of many.”

  
“I know all men say it but I actually mean it when I say I don't cheat. I was raised by all women and my best friend is female. I'd be six feet under if I disrespected a woman like that.” He laughed but he was telling the truth. Between his mom, sisters, and his Baby Girl...yeah, he'd be dead.

  
Alice smiled sweetly at him. “I'm not sure why but I believe you. I'll make you a deal...”

  
“I'm all ears, princess.”

“If you'll forgive me my trust issues I'll overlook what you think is a flaw. Mostly because I'm a thirty-year-old unmarried millennial for a reason. My type is dying.” She winked at him playfully.

  
“Is that so?” Derek felt confident enough now to use the hand he was holding to pull Alice into his lap.

  
“Yep.” The look on her pretty face was almost challenging.

  
“Well, I can't let a pretty little thing like you miss out on something so rare.” Reaching up, he cupped her cheek and pulled her lips to his for a soft kiss.


	5. Aye, Aye, Captain

Derek and Alice spend the rest of the morning and afternoon enjoying a beautiful D.C. spring day. Towards the end of the afternoon, the fish had stopped biting and the temperature was in the unusually high low-80s. The water wasn't warm enough to swim yet but that hadn't stopped Derek from shedding his shirt. Alice had followed his lead. Derek was very pleased to see that he had gotten his wish. Alice was wearing a bikini underneath her clothes. While he wasn't lucky enough to get a glimpse of the bottoms because she kept her shorts on, the (and other things) was now on full display. It was multi-colored and had strings crisscrossing on her chest, giving just a tiny peek at her rather impressive, and obviously (by the way they moved) real breasts. It was a conservative top that only masqueraded as scandalous. It had the desired effect of making him as hard as a rock. He was itching to bed her over the railing and do very naughty things to her. If they had been further along in their relationship, he would have. 

  
“Do you know how damn sexy you look right now?” He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and lightly kissed her neck as she stood at the railing, slowly reeling in her line. 

  
Alice set her rod in one of the boat's holding spots and leaned back in his embrace and tilted her head to give him better access. “I wish we had more time so you could show me.”

  
Damn. He had not been expecting that response. “You sure you're ready to cross that line with me, princess? There's no turning back after I take you to my bed.” He trailed hand lightly over her soft tummy. 

  
“What do you mean?” Her tone was a little breathless and it made him smirk. 

  
“You know I'm a possessive man, baby.” Now his hands were cupping both of her heavy breasts, lightly kneading them. “If you give yourself to me...you're really giving yourself to me. You'll be mine and I'll be yours. Period. End of story.”

  
Alice moaned and arched into him. “I want that...so bad.”

erek released her and spun her in his arms. Reaching up, he cupped her cheeks in both hands. “Than that's what you'll get, princess.” He quickly kissed her. “Tonight, after the party, we'll go home to my place and I'll make you mine. You better make sure you bring work clothes for Monday because what I have planned for you is going to take all weekend.”

  
“Can't wait, darlin'.” She softly kissed his chin.

  
Neither could he. “You wanna dock early? That way we can stop by your apartment and you can pack a bag. You can get ready for the party at my place.”

  
“That sounds good,” she nodded. “It's getting too humid out here anyway.”

  
Derek pulled her in for one last long, sexy kiss. “You wanna pack up our stuff while I take us back to the dock,” he asked when they parted. 

  
“Aye, ate, captain,” she smirked and saluted him.

  
“Wrong hand, smartass.” he lightly smacked her ass in punishment.


	6. Handy

"Please, excuse the stack of shoe boxes and crates of art supplies," Alice said as she let the two of them into the small but nice apartment. There was a modern country theme in the small living room. Said living room had a sliding glass door that led to a private balcony and was attached to a tiny one-person kitchen. It also looked like a Michael's Arts and Crafts store had exploded all over it. "My class is going on a field trip to an art museum next week to try and mimic some of the pieces they see."

"Baby, wait until you see my place," Derek laughed, following her into the bedroom that was just off the kitchen. "It's an old colonial that I bought last year and have been fixing up ever since. Three out of the four bedrooms aren't livable and I just finished the downstairs last month."

"Handy. Very nice." Alice gave him a flirty smile. Opening her closet, she grabbed a small overnight bag.

"Oh, I'll show you handy later, princess." Derek winked at her. "That's a promise. Do you need any of that stuff in the living room for work on Monday? I can go and put it in the truck."

"I'll only need my tote bag with a picture of the Titanic on the front. The field trip isn't until Tuesday." Going to her dresser she grabbed some jeans, a pair of shorts, and a couple of tops.

When Alice opened her top drawer, Derek saw that it housed nightgowns and pajamas. "Don't bother with nightclothes, baby. You won't be needing them." The smile he gave her was positively lewd.

"What if I get cold?" She challenged.

Derek walked over and wrapped her in his arms. "I'll keep you warm, Ally-girl. Don't you worry about that. You sleep naked or in one of my shirts when you're with me. No arguments."

Alice stood on her toes a little to kiss him. "Wasn't going to argue, darlin'. I only wear clothes to bed in the winter when it's cold."

Derek groaned in desire. It was going to kill him waiting until after the party to have his first taste of her. "Woman, you're fucking perfect." His hands wandered down to squeeze her ass.

"Wanna help me with something?" Alice took a step back.

"Anything." At this point probably even murder he was so hard up.

"Which dress should I wear to avoid Amanda calling me an old schoolmarm?" She held up a conservative little black dress that looked like it stopped at the knee. It looked like something a modern royal woman would wear to a funeral. Beside it, she held up a rose pink wraparound dress that stopped about three inches above the knee and looked like it would hug her body in all the right places.

"The pink one," he didn't hesitate. "And princess?" He waited for her to look at him. "I don't care if I have to fuck you on the table, your sister will respect you for the beautiful, sexy woman that you are." He couldn't help but smirk when he saw the shiver that ran through her at his words. His princess wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. "I'll make sure of it."


	7. Little Motor Mouth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to go ahead and admit that Alice's family is slightly based off of the family on 'Modern Family' as well as being kind of based on my own.

Derek knew that Georgetown was a ritzy area and he knew that Alice had grown up there but he still hadn't expected to park his truck in front of Jackie Kennedy's old house N. Street. “What exactly do your sister and her fiance do for a living?”

Alice snorted. “Amanda shops and gossips. That's what she does. Beau is a junior congressman from Montana with an ego as big as his trust fund. This isn't their house. This is my dad and step-mom's place.”

Derek shut off the truck. “And what do they do?” He was kind of surprised to find the family of a school teacher to be rolling in money.

“My dad's a political adviser for Democratic Party and my step-mom's a housewife. She used to teach like me but now she looks after my 13-year-old step-sister and my 10-month old little sister, Aria. She also volunteers a lot. She helps me out at school all the time.”

“What about your mom?” Derek wondered. Alice had yet to mention her mother at all.

“She won't be here. Her and my step-mom, Minnie, don't get along,” Alice shook her head.

Derek didn't want to focus on a sore subject so he steered the conversation away from her mother. “Any other family that I need to know about? If I'm going in there as your man I don't want to go in there blind and look stupid.

“I'm the oldest. Then there's my brother, August. We call him Auggie. He's my Irish twin. He's a victim's rights attorney. He's married to Trevor, who's a stay-at-home dad to their daughter, Shannon. After Auggie comes Amanda and the blockhead she's marrying. My step-sister's in middle school and her name's Amber. Yes, we like A-names in my family although Amber's name is just a coincidence. My dad's name is Aiden and you already know he's married to Minnie. That's everyone important.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Are you sure you want to tell them we're...a couple? Amanda will never let me live it down if I bring you once and they never see you again. We're all close. As is in, we have Sunday dinner together every week. I won't exactly be able to hide it when you're gone.”

It did not escape Derek's notice that Alive said 'when' and not 'if.' “I'm sure,” he replied firmly. “Amanda's just gonna have to get used to me, baby, because I'm not going anywhere.”

Alice smiled a little. “Okay,” she nodded.

A startling bang on the passenger side window made both of them jump in their seats. “Aunt Ally.” An adorable little Asian girl who couldn't be any older than four or five was bouncing up and down on the small lawn beside the truck. “Are you coming out or what?”

Alive giggled and opened her door. “Well, hello to you too, Shannon. Where are your daddies?” She stepped out of the truck and Derek followed her. Walking to join her and Shannon on the lawn, he remotely locked the vehicle.

“Inside, make-believing that Beau isn't a tool,” the little girl shrugged as though she didn't understand what she was saying. “That's what they said they were going to do in the car.”

Alice gasped while Derek laughed. “Shannon, honey, it's not nice to repeat what your daddies say in private.”

“Okay,” Shannon nodded but her aunt's words had very clearly gone in one ear and right back out the other. “Who are you?” She turned to look at Derek. 

“Oh,” Alice smiled when he took her hand. “This is my boyfriend, Derek.” He squeezed her hand in encouragement. 

“Finally,” little Shannon put her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic way. “Grandpa told Minnie that he was worried you'd never get one of those.”

Alice ran a hand over her face. “You can't repeat what Grandpa and Minnie say either.”

“Oh, uh, okay.” Shannon obviously (and adorably) still didn't get it. “Aunt Ally?”

“Yes, my little motor-mouth?” Alice looked both exasperated and amused at the same time. 

“What's a boyfriend and when do I get to have one?”

Derek burst out laughing. He was really going to like this kid. 

“Alright,” Alice released his hand and took hold of Shannon's much smaller one. “Let's go and find your daddies. That question is above my pay-grade as an auntie.”


	8. Shannon

“Alice, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you were seeing someone.” Alice’s brother-in-law, Trever, looked a little hurt. “You know how much I love my gossip.”

“Honey, that’s probably why she didn’t tell you.” Alice’s brother, Auggie, patted his husband on the back.

They were all gathered around the pool in the backyard enjoying after dinner drinks. Derek was having a pretty good time. Apart from Amanda and Beau, Alice’s family was nice if not a little weird.

“She didn’t tell anyone because the two of them only met last night at the club,” Amanda sneered from her place, perched primely on Beau’s lap in a lawn chair.

Alice had been playing with her infant sister, Aria, and stopped cold at Amanda’s words. She turned a crimson color and bowed her head in shame. Oh, hell no, Derek wasn’t having that.

“Actually,” Derek spoke up loudly. “I met Alice six months ago when her class came by FBI headquarters on a field trip,” he lied through his teeth. “I’d been out of town for a few weeks on a case and just got home last night. I knew Alice would be at the bar, so I stopped into see her because I missed her.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Alice’s dad, Aiden, raised his glass of scotch in a lazy kind of salute.

“That is _so_ romantic,” tween-age Amber appeared to be swooning. Derek was fairly certain his girl’s stepsister had a crush on him.

Derek didn’t miss the grateful smile Alice shot his way.

“Amanda,” Alice’s stepmother, Minnie, scolded. “Why are you making up lies about your sister?” Minnie was Mexican and her accent made her scolding somehow sound much more severe.

“She inherited our mother’s crazy, that’s why,” Auggie mumbled into his wine glass. Trever smacked his shoulder.

“Grandpa says Auntie Amanda likes to cause trouble because she likes the attention.” Once again Shannon chose to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

“Daddy!” Amanda screeched.

“And Daddy says –”

“That’s okay, sweetie,” Trever quickly tried to silence his daughter. “Nobody needs to hear it right now.”

“What does Daddy say…and which daddy?” Amanda narrowed her eyes at the child.

“That one,” Shannon pointed at Auggie. “He says you have more drama than a season of _Keeping Up With The Kardashians_.”

“I HATE ALL OF YOU!” Amanda wailed overly dramatically before running off, Beau chasing after her.

“Well, this has been fun,” Aiden downed the rest of his drink.

***

“Derek, I am so sorry.” Those were the first words out of Alice’s mouth once they were back in his truck.

Derek shot her a sexy smile before starting the ignition. “Why are you sorry, princess? I had a great time.”

Alice looked at him like he was crazy. “Were we at the same dinner party?”

“Your family’s a trip, baby.” Derek laughed. “They aren’t fake and your sister is something else. I wouldn’t mind doing this again.” He leaned over and quickly kissed her.

“Just for saying that, you’re my date to Amanda’s wedding,” Alice shot back.

Derek smirked. Eventually she’d figure out that he was going to be her date to everything from now on. She was his.


	9. Sound Sleeper

It had been a long day between the time they had spent on Derek’s boat and the dinner party. Alive had tried to hide her yawns as best as she could during the first half of the drive to Derek’s place. During the second half of the journey, she went silent altogether. That was because she had passed out with her head against the passenger side window. With a fond chuckle, Derek reached over and gently moved her head back onto the seat when he stopped at a red light. He didn’t want her waking up sore.

Once Derek pulled into his driveway, he killed the engine, but he made no attempt to wake Alice. Instead, he got out of the truck and closed the door as quietly as he could. He quickly jogged up to the front door and unlocked and opened it before making his way back to his vehicle. Alice was a sound sleeper. She barely stirred as Derek opened her door, unhooked her seatbelt, and gently gathered her up in his arms. He managed to carry her inside and up the stairs to his bedroom without her waking up.

Once Alice was in his bed, Derek went downstairs and locked the house up before finally joining his girlfriend in the bedroom. He let her sleep while he quickly showered and slipped on a pair of boxer-briefs to sleep in. He grabbed one of his navy-blue FBI t-shirts out of his dresser, taking a seat next to Alice on the bed.

“Baby,” Derek slightly shook her. “Come on and open those pretty eyes for me.”

Slowly, Alice’s eyes blinked open. “What time is it?” Her voice was husky with sleep.

“It’s a little after midnight.” She was lying on her stomach, and Derek started to rub her lower back softly. “We’ve been here at my place for almost two hours.”

“Damn, Derek, I’m sorry.” Alice adorably blushed at the same time that she yawned. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’ve just had a really long week.”

“You don’t got to explain, princess.” Derek shook his head. “The only reason I woke you up is so you can get out of that dress.” He held up the t-shirt and showed it to her.

“I thought we were going to –”

“We got all weekend,” Derek assured her. No matter how badly he wanted her underneath him, he wasn’t the kind of man to try and coerce an exhausted woman to have sex with him. “I just want you to sleep tonight, baby. You need it.” He leaned down and softly kissed her. “That dress can’t be comfortable to sleep in.”

“Don’t need the shirt,” Alice mumbled sleepily. Reaching down, she pulled the tie that held her dress closed. Quickly shedding the garment, she tossed it to the floor before laying back down, wearing nothing but her red cotton bra and panties.

Derek ran a hand over his mouth. His woman was going to fucking kill him.


	10. Until I Get Home

Derek did not want to get out of bed the next morning, and, luckily, it was the weekend, so he didn’t have to. Alice’s naked back was pressed up against his bare chest, and he had his arms wrapped around her waist firmly.

“I know you’re awake back there,” came Alice’s amused voice.

“You’re right, I am.” He laid a gentle kiss to the back of her neck. “I was just lying here, enjoying the feeling of waking up with my woman in my arms.”

“I love that you do that,” Alice rolled over to lay on her back so that she was looking up at him.

“Do what?” Derek brushed some of her hair out of her face.

“Every other guy that I’ve dated in my limited experience has called me his girl,” Alice explained. “You don’t do that. You call me your woman instead. I love that.”

Derek smiled sexily at her. “That’s because I don’t mess around with girls. I only like mature, independent women. One fine ass woman in particular.”

Alice blushed as she giggled. “Derek, you already have me in your bed. You don’t have to keep laying it on so thick.”

This response greatly irritated Derek. “I’m sorry that you dated self-involved assholes before me, princess. You deserved better than that, but I’m not gonna let you punish me for their mistakes. I don’t say shit that I don’t fucking mean. You’re my woman now, so you best get used to it.” When he was finished speaking, Derek took her lips in a rough, punishing kiss.

After the shock wore off, Alice started to respond to his kiss. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Things were just starting to get good when Derek’s phone started ringing on the nightstand. Pulling away from Alice, he answered it and then promptly wished that he hadn’t. It was Reid. The team had an urgent case in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A sniper was on the prowl in upper-class neighborhoods. He was forced to cut their weekend short.

Before Derek left, he handed her a house key.

Alice appeared to be confused. “What this for?”

“I know you got your own place, and I’m not trying to rush anything, but I’d like it if you stayed here – just until I get home from this case so we can finish what we’ve started. That and the first night home after a case is always pretty bad for me. I’m kind of hoping that knowing that you’re waiting here to spend that first night with me will make things better.” He was being completely honest with her.

Alice smiled warmly at him. “I’ll stay until you get home,” she promised. Then she leaned in and softly kissed him.


	11. Homecoming

The case had been a bitch. The sniper had turned out to be a disgruntled ex-cop who was good at covering his tracks. The only reason they were able to catch him was because the guy’s wife had given him up. In total, Derek had been gone for six days, and he had broken more than a few traffic laws to get home as quickly as possible that late Saturday night.

While he had been in constant contact with his girlfriend the entire time he had been gone, and he knew that she was still staying at his place just as she had promised, Derek hadn’t been able to reach Alice since mid-morning. When he had called to check-in, she had told him that she wasn’t feeling well. He had told her to go and curl up in his bed to rest and then had ended the call. Derek hadn’t been able to get her to answer his calls or text messages since. Needless to say, he was extremely worried. Given what he did for a living, he couldn’t stop his brain from going to the worst-case scenario.

Once he arrived home, he barely remembered to lock up his truck and then the house before he hurried up the stairs and flung open his bedroom door. He breathed a sigh of relief at what he found.

Alice was sleeping soundly in his bed, the covers thrown off of her. She was wearing a pair of purple boyshorts and one of his FBI t-shirts. Even with her ample curves, she was swimming in it. She was covered in a thin layer of sweat that made Derek worry that she was running a fever.

Walking into his bathroom, he opened his medicine cabinet and grabbed a bottle of NyQuil that he kept for when he had the flu. Then he grabbed the glass that he kept on the counter and filled it up with water before heading back into the bedroom. Setting everything on the nightstand, he turned on the lamp and lightly shook her. “Alice, wake up, baby.”

Slowly, Alice opened her eyes. When she saw him, she became confused. “Derek? I just talked to you in Michigan. How are you here?”

“Princess, that was almost twelve hours ago.” He brushed some of her sweat-dampened hair away from her face.

“How did I sleep so long, and I still feel tired?” Alice would always be beautiful in his eyes, but Derek would admit that, in that moment, she looked like a pretty version of Hell.

“You’re sick, baby,” Derek explained as he poured some NyQuil into the little plastic cup that came with it. “I’m pretty sure you have a fever, and your body needs the extra sleep. Now sit up a little bit for me and take this medicine.”

Alice was asleep again within minutes of taking the NyQuil. When Derek finally climbed into bed to join her, she rolled over in her sleep to cuddle into his chest. Not caring about the risk of getting sick, he softly kissed her forehead. This wasn’t how he pictured his homecoming going, but he’d take it.


	12. An Unexpected Emergency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry that this update took me five months to post. I was struggling with my bipolar disorder this past summer. I needed time away to get my head screwed back on straight. That might sound like TMI, but I’m all about breaking the stigma associated with mental illness. My old tumblr was shut down during my breakdown, so if you had a story request in, I lost it. I wasn’t thinking clearly when I deleted it to get away from political trolling. New tumblr is antisocialwonder. If you resubmit the request, I’ll work on it once I’m done updating all of my neglected stories.

Alice wasn’t any better the next day. In fact, she had actually gotten worse. Derek had been roused from sleep, not by the morning sun, but by the heat that was radiating off of his girlfriend’s skin. It alarmed him enough that he sprung out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to retrieve the digital thermometer.

Derek sat down beside Alice on the bed and gently shook her awake. “Princess, wake up, we need to take your temperature.”

Alice allowed him to put the thermometer in her mouth, but Derek could tell that she wasn’t entirely coherent, which scared him even more. Reaching for his cell phone, he called his mom. She was a nurse. She’d know what to do.

“Hey, sweetie,” his mom answered on the second ring.

“Sorry, Mama, can’t chit-chat. I need some medical advice.”

“Of course. What’s wrong?”

“My girlfriend’s really sick. She’s running a fever, and she’s not talking to me. It’s like she’s a zombie.”

“What’s her temperature?”

“Hold on, the thermometer just beeped.” Derek took the device out of Alice’s mouth. When he read the little digital numbers, he was filled with dread. “Shit! Mama, her fever’s 104.8!”

“Derek, get off the phone with me and call 911 right now. While you wait, put her in the shower with the water on as cold as you can get it.”

Derek hung up on his mother and dialed 911. While he spoke to the dispatcher, he picked Alice up and carried her into the bathroom. Setting her down gently in the tub, he turned on the shower and turned the water on cold. Alice didn’t even flinch. Her eyes were open, but she was staring blankly ahead, her gaze unseeing.

When he hung up with the 911 dispatcher, he jogged downstairs to open the front door. His phone still in his hand, he received a text from his mom.

_*** Tell the paramedics and hospital that you’re her fiancé. They won’t let you stay with her if you don’t. Love you, baby. Keep me updated. ***_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alice does NOT have covid-19. This was written before the pandemic hit.


	13. Diagnosis

“Agent Morgan?” The emergency room doctor quietly got Derek’s attention in the waiting room. The old man motioned for him to follow him.

The doctor led him past the nurse’s station to an exam room in the back of the ER. The room was dark and dull of unused medical equipment. The doctor flipped on the lights.

“How’s Alice?” Derek crossed his arms over his chest.

“She’s stable,” Dr. Tennent, as his name tag identified him, was quick to assure. “We managed to get her fever down. Agent Morgan, I need to know, has Alice been near the ocean or a lake recently?”

Derek nodded. “We were out on my boat on the Potomac about a week ago. We were fishing. We never got into the water though.”

Dr. Tennent nodded. “She wouldn’t have needed to get in the water to get sick. I think Alice contracted Legionnaire’s Disease on your outing, probably from a fish.”

“What exactly is Legionnaire’s Disease?” Derek was trying not to freak out.

“It’s a severe form of viral pneumonia that’s caused by bacteria in water,” Dr. Tennent explained. “From the look of Alice’s chest x-rays, we caught it very early. Alice is young and healthy, so I fully expect her to recover. We’ve already started her on antibiotics, and I’ve gone ahead and admitted her to the hospital.”

“How long will she have to stay?” He knew that would one of the things Alice would ask when he was next able to speak to her. “Is she awake?”

“We’ll keep her until her fever breaks and her lungs begin to clear. That usually happens with the first week, but I can’t make you any promises,” Dr. Tennent warned. “Alice has been moved to a room on the third floor. I gave her something to help her rest. She will probably sleep through the night and into tomorrow. If you go to the nurse’s station, they’ll give you her room number.”

Derek thanked the doctor and bypassed the nurse’s station so he could step outside and make a few phone calls before going up to sit with his woman. The first person he called was his mom to update her like he had promised. After that, he placed a phone call to his best friend.

“What’s up, chocolate thunder? It’s late.” Penelope sounded half-awake.

“Alice is in the hospital,” he bluntly told her. Penelope had been forced to listen to him talk about his woman for the past week so there was no need for him to clue her in. “I need a favor, baby girl.”

“I’m yours to command,” Penelope was suddenly wide awake.

“I don’t have Alice’s phone here I really don’t want to leave her to go home and get it,” he explained. “Do you think you could get your hands on her brother, August’s phone number? Her work phone number too.” The school would have to be notified so they could hire a substitute for Alice’s class.

“You’re in luck, Kevin’s over. We’ll text you those numbers in a few minutes.”

“You’re the best, baby girl.”


	14. Smartass

After taking care of making the necessary phone calls, Derek finally joined Alice in her hospital room. The sight she made in her bed very nearly broke his heart. She was even paler than normal, which was saying a lot with her ivory skin. On her face, she wore an oxygen mask. She had one IV administering antibiotics and another saline to keep her hydrated. The pulse oximeter on her finger was responsible for the steady beeping in the small room.

Derek ran a hand over his mouth as he took a seat in the chair next to her bed. “Shit, baby,” he spoke softly. “I am so sorry for this.”

“How are you blaming yourself for this?”

Derek’s eyes shot up to Alice’s and he was surprised to find them open. “You should be sleeping, princess. The doc gave you something to sleep.”

“Your…*COUGH*…pity party was…*COUGH*…too loud,” Alice barely managed to spit out.

Derek jumped to his feet and helped her readjust her oxygen mask. “Cool it with the smartass until you can breathe again, baby,” he lightly admonished. “And the doc said you most likely caught this while we were fishing.”

“It happens,” Alice brushed it off. “Just think…*COUGH*…one day we …*COUGH*…can tell our kids…*COUGH*…how you tri – *COUGH*…tried to kill me on…*COUGH*…our first date.” She ended in a coughing fit.

“What did I say about the smartass?” He raised an eyebrow at her. Then he proceeded to tuck her in tighter. “I called Auggie. He’ll be by in the morning with some of your things. I got ahold of your work number too. Once the sun’s up, I’ll call and get a sub lined up for your class.”

Alice smiled weakly, her eyelids starting to droop. Whatever the doctor had given her to sleep was obviously still in her system. “I need one thing…”

Derek reached down and brushed some hair away from her face. “Just name it, baby, and it’s yours.”

“Lay with me and…*COUGH*…hold me while I fall asleep.”

Derek smiled. “That I can do.”

It took some creativity but her managed to grant his woman’s request.


	15. I’ll Go Anywhere

Alice's lungs took two days to clear enough for the doctor to feel comfortable releasing her. She wasn’t well by any stretch of the imagination, but she was out of the danger zone. For the next couple of weeks, she would remain on bed rest at Derek’s home. He hadn’t told her that yet, though. She would figure it out when they pulled up at his place. She would probably protest, but it was honestly the best thing for her. During the day, Auggie’s husband, Trever, would keep her company, and Derek would be there to care for her at night.

Derek had just finished getting Alice’s at-home care instructions at the nurses' station and was headed back to Alice’s room. He would hang out with her while they waited on her discharge papers and a nurse with a wheelchair. When he arrived at the door of the room, he heard her talking to a man. After a second, he realized it was her brother Auggie.

“Derek seems head over heels for you,” Auggies said. “Pretty impressive for a man you’ve only been with for a few weeks.”

Derek knew that it was wrong to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to see where this conversation led.

“How did you know?” Was Alice’s reply.

Auggie laughed. “Never in your life have you been able to keep a secret from me for six months.”

“Why didn’t you say anything that night at dinner?”

“It wasn’t my business, and no matter how old I get, I can’t seem to stop enjoying it when Amanda gets in trouble.”

Derek chuckled to himself before reaching for the door handle. He was sure to make a little extra noise as he entered the room. He pretended to be surprised to see Auggie. “Hey, man, what are you doing here?” He handed Alice the care instructions.

“I have to meet with a client in Boston, and I wanted to stop in before my flight.” Auggie accepted the fist bump that Derek offered him.

“He was nice enough to clue me in on where I’m staying for the next few weeks.” Alice was still pale and weak, but she still managed to playfully glare at him. “When were you going to tell me that I’m staying with you?”

“When we got to my house?”

That made Auggie laugh, and even Alice cracked a smile.

“The doc doesn’t want you alone in case your lungs start to get bad again. This is the best way for Trever and me to keep an eye on you,” he pled his case.

“As long as I’m not here anymore, I’ll go anywhere,” Alice said before accepting the kiss that he leaned down to offer her.


	16. When Did You Know?

He enjoyed seeing his woman curled up on his couch, cuddled up under a quilt that his momma had made for him when he was still living in Chicago. Her hair was piled high on top of her head in a messy bun, and she was dressed in one of his t-shirts that was more than baggy on her. She would look sexy as hell if she wasn’t still so sick.

“Don’t you have to work today?” Alice accepted the cup of coffee that he handed her before he took a seat beside her on the overstuffed red couch.

“I took a week’s vacation time,” Derek replied as he took a sip out of his own coffee mug.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Alice shook her head, and Derek had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at her. “I could have stayed with Auggie and Trevor. Plus, I’m curious what it would be like to hear Shannon’s big-mouthed commentary on a 24-hour basis.”

Derek laughed. “That would be exhausting, princess. I see why they’re a one-kid family. Auggie and Trevor have their hands full with that girl.” He turned serious. “and you’re where you’re supposed to be, sweetheart. My woman’s sick; it’s my job to take care of her. Plus, I want to Ally-cat.”

Alice smiled at the nickname before asking a question that Derek did not see coming. “Why?”

“Why what?” He was confused.

“Why do you want to take care of me?”

Well. That was so incredibly blunt, but her open honesty was one of Alice’s most attractive qualities. Derek took a deep breath and leaned forward and set his mug on the coffee table. Then he turned so that he was looking into her eyes. “Because I’m in love with you.”

A small smile came to Alice’s face. “Good to know,” she said teasingly. “Because I’m in love with you too.”

Derek let out a breath that he hadn’t known that he was holding before a grin took over his handsome face. He leaned forward and cupped her cheek in his hand. Then he kissed her like it was going out of style while silently cursing himself for taking her fishing. He wanted to take her upstairs and show her just how much he loved her, but he knew that she was nowhere near healthy enough for that kind of activity.

“When did you know?” Derek asked when they parted. He leaned back and pulled her to cuddle up against him.

“When I woke up in the hospital, and you were the first thing I saw.” She laid her head against his chest, her eyes looking heavy. “When did you know?”

“When I came home and found you asleep in my bed after my last case, right before I realized how sick you were. It just felt right having you in my bed.” He kissed her forehead. “Close your eyes and rest, baby.”

He hadn’t needed to say anything. Alice was already fast asleep.


	17. Bridesmaid Gowns

“You have got to be friggin’ kidding me!” Alice was upstairs in Derek’s bedroom trying on the bridesmaid gown she was supposed to wear at Amanda’s wedding. Minnie had brought it over, so Alice didn’t have to go to the bridal shop in her condition. “She’s trying to make me look ugly on purpose!”

Derek sat on the living room couch, bouncing Alice’s little sister, Aria, on his knee. He’d offered to play babysitter so that Minnie could help a still weak Alice try on her dress. “I don’t think sissy likes her dress for your crazy sissy’s wedding.,” he spoke to the baby, who, in reply, blew a spit bubble at him.

Derek heard the sound of Minnie’s high heels coming down the stairs before she appeared in the living room doorway. “Derek, mijo, I need you to go upstairs and tell my stepdaughter that she looks gorgeous.”

Derek’s eyebrows went up. “How bad is it?” He got to his feet and handed Aria off to her mother.

“It’s not good.” Minnie shook her head and grimaced. “She looks like something _‘Gone With the Wind’_ threw up.”

When Derek got to his bedroom, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. While he got why Minnie saw a character out of _‘Gone With the Wind,’_ all he saw was Little Bo Peep. The powder blue taffeta gown came complete with a bonnet. She was just missing a staff and the sheep. “Wow, Ally-Cat, you look…”

“I look stupid!” Alice huffed and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to be Amanda’s maid of honor anymore,” she said petulantly.

“You already agreed to do it, princess; you can’t back out now.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind as she glared at her reflection in the full-length mirror that hung on the back of the bathroom door. “Don’t worry, when we get married, I’ll help you pick out the ugliest dress on earth so you can pay her back.”

“Oh, hell, no.” Alice chuckled. “When you get to the point where you want to marry me, we’re eloping. End of story.”

He briefly wondered how she’d react if he pulled away from her and immediately booked two tickets to Vegas on the next flight out of Dulles.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his doorbell. He was getting used to the sound because Alice’s family always seemed to be coming going these days. She hadn’t been lying when she said they were a close-knit crew. He heard Minnie’s heels as she went to answer the door.

“BRUJA!” They heard Minnie shout from downstairs.

Alice closed her eyes and groaned. “There’s only one person that pisses Minnie off enough to call someone that.”

Derek was getting a little nervous now. “Baby, who is it?”

Alice turned around in his arms and gave him an apologetic smile. “Derek, honey, my mom’s here.”


End file.
